Direction signal for motor vehicles



April 13, 1948. H, STEPHENSON 2,439,588

DIRECTION SIGNAL FOR MOTOR VEHICLES I Filedy Nov. 23, 194e'l 2 sheets-sheet 1 ATTORNEYS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTQRN EYS April 1a, 194s.

H, STEPHENSON DIRECTION SIGNAL FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed Nov. 23, 1946 Patented Apr. 13, 1948 UNI T EDA STAT ES PATE NT" F E;

DIItEC-'IIONA SIGNAL FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Hyrum Stephenson,.Tracy, Cali-i".`

Application November123, 1946; Serial No'.-712,019

4. claims. (C1. 11s- 47) signal` `assembly carried by the arm'A `at itsY outer,

endf in` position to be readily seenl by a following ory approaching vehicle, and manually controlled mechanism .extending lfrom within `the idrivers compartment, and through the `hol-low armvto said.A signal assembly in` actuating relation to the latter.

A further object of the invention is to provide a ,mechanical signal device, asin the preceding paragraph, in .which` the -signal assembly vcomprises a rotatably` mounted,` vertical spindle forked. 'at one. end, agnornially ,horizontal arrowpivotally mounted intermediate its. ends in` the fork* for. swinging or ltilting motion from; such horizontal iposition to a downwardly pointing,

outwardly inclined position said manuallycontrolled mechanism `beingarranged to cause the g spindle torotate to pointgthehorizontal. arrow to. right or .left to indicate a g corresponding` turn or. to tilt the arrow `to its. downwardly pointing, outwardly inclinedposition -to indicate a stop.

Aiurther object of` the invention-is to pro-` vide a practical and effective directionisignal for motor` vehicles, andv one .which will be exceedingly effective -for the purposefor which it is designed.

These objects` areaccomplished .by means of such structure andrelative arrangement of partsA aswill fullyrappear by a `perusal of thefollowing specification and claims.

Inthe drawings:

Fig; 1 is a perspective'iview of` the .deviceas mounted on; Aan automobile.

'Fig 2 isan enlargedragmentary elevation, mainly section, on .linel 2-'-2 `ci Fig.V 1.:

Fig. 3 is, an enlarged fragmentary rear end -view of .thekdevice detached, and showingparticularlyV the radiali, control; levers.

Fig. 4 `is;.an enlarged ,front elevation*` ofthe device, withthe cover plate Vof the hollow supporting arm` removed.

Fia-.5 isan enlarged cross isection online 5.-5

Referring now more particularly i to. the .characters ofreference on the :drawingathe device comprises an elongated tubular bod-y Iiformed,`

ntermediatefitsends, with a bracket2; thebody lfbeing adapted `to be mounted'on thetop 3 :fof an automobile II directly above-and acentrallyof its windshield.Y Thewbody vI lextendslongitudinally in a horizontal ip lane, andthe-portionfof said body rearwardly of. the bracket .2 projects through asuitable bore in: thewauto top 3, and thus extends intothe driver-s compartment above the wvindshield: Thel bracket 2V is= formedto matchingly engage the auto top 3'and is secured thereto Vby suitable-means. The outer or projectingend of the body I issupported from the automobile bodyby means of a standard 5.

From the outer endgof ,the tubular body I a hollow supporting armA` 6proj,ects laterally in normal horizontal position to and-beyond the leftside of the automobile 4; such arm including aremovable cover plate] ffor .access to the vworking parts carriedwithin said arm, as hereinafter described.' The suppprting arm 6 projects. to and some distance beyond theleft side of. theautomobile, and atits outenenolsaid arm supportsa signal` device, indicated. at. 8...

Within vthe-tubular body, I .it is :fitted with an` outensleeve .9,- an innersleeve I 0,. anda central rod. I I, all, in. relatively,rotatablerelation.. At the `.inner Aend of the tubular body I, and-within the` drivers compartment of. the. automobile, the.

outer sleeve-9 is tted.with'a .depending radial lever y. I 2 the inner sleeve IIJ-.isffttedwith a :de- Y pending radialleverlS; and-the rod II `is fitted 'witha depending radiallever M f The levers 12,

I3,; and I4 are axially; spacedv apart, normally inv alinement in` 1a -vertioal plane,` and. fareof `progressively:4 shorter- -length from the Alever l2 to thelever. I4;4 as shownyfor ease of. manual access.y

Atfthe outer end of; the tubular body` I; the

outensleevesis keyed in connection witha hub.y I5 on the hollow; supporting Iarmqlwhereby said arm is mounted for rotation with` saidnsleeve;

The radialv lever '.I2`,: upon: swingingfrom its fullline lposition vof Fig.'f3, toits dottedfline position,

causes the supporting -arm .6, togetherwith the signalA device ii,` tombefswungupwardwsomewhat.

to thedotted lineipositionxrof-z saidffiguracif nec` essary .for the purpose .of,.greatervisionrfor ithe driver under abnormal driving conditions. Norhorizontal position;` as Ashown in Fig.:1.: A 4coun.-

ter--balance spring.` I6 .connects between the radial lever .I2 and` a Vsi'iitable*point: in. the drivers' com` partment,; and Va.1.spring-@pressed detent I 1 on. the

tubular body l .cooperates .withtthe outersleeve;

9 in holding relation to the latter, whereby to maintain the arm 6 in either of the selective p0- sitions of adjustment thereof.

The signal device, as indicated generally at I8, comprises the following structural arrangement:

A hollow spindle I8 projects vertically into the supporting arm 8, at its outer end and from below, through a bearing I 9; said spindle being Y turnable in ,the bearing but maintained against axial displacement. Below the bearing I9 the hollow spindle I8 is formed with a fork 29, and an arrow 2I, cut from metal or the like, extends through the fork in a normally horizontal, forwardly projecting position.

The arrow is pivoted, intermediate its ends, as at 22, in connection with the fork 20, with the axis of said pivot offset relative to the vertical axis of the hollow spindle I8.

VA spring 23 is connected between the fork 20 and a stop pin 24 on the arrow; said spring and stop being arranged so that the spring urges the arrow upwardly at the point, while the stop pin 24 abuts the fork 20 to limit such upward movement to horizontal position of said arrow.

As so mounted the arrow 2I'may be turned, upon rotation of the hollow spindle I8 in the bearing I9, to point to right or left to indicate a right or left turn, or may be swung or tilted from its normal horizontal position to a downwardly pointing, outwardly inclined position to indicate a stop. In Fig. 4 the arrow is shown in "right-turn position in full lines; in leftturn position in dotted lines; and in stop position in broken lines.

The varrow 2l is actuated, so that it will`assume said positions selectively, by means of the following manually controlled mechanism:

At its forward end the inner sleeve IIJ is fitted with a pulley 25, and an endless cord 26 leads from the pulley 25 through the hollow arm yI and about a cooperating pulley 21 on the upper end of the hollow spindle I8 within said arm.

With this arrangement right or left hand swinging of the radial lever I3 within the drivers compartment rotates the inner sleeve I and pulley 25, so that the endless cord 26 and pulley 2'I`correspondingly rotate the spindle I8 and the arrow 2I to position the latter properly for a right turn or left turn signal. In other words, the described mechanism swings the hollow spindle I8 through 90 to right or left at the selection of the operator; the arrow 2I normally pointing'forwardly, as previously described.

The forward end of the rod II is tted, within the arm Ii, with a radial lever 28, and a cord 29 connects with the outer end of said lever and thence extends through the arm to adjacent the spindle I8, whence said cord turns over a, direction-changing pulley 30 and depends through such spindle, and fork 29, to connection with the outer end of another radial lever 3I'on the hub 32 of the arrow 2 I.

To swing the arrow to its stop position, as in broken lines in Fig. 4, the driver rst manipulates the lever I3 until the spindle I8 is rotated to swing the arrow to its left-turn position. Then, with the arrow in such left-turn position, the radial lever I4 is actuated to swing the lever 28 in .a vdirection to pull on the cord 29, causing theV lever 3I to swing upwardly, and the arrow to swing downwardly to its stop position.

In order to assure that the radial lever I3 remain in its selective right or left-turn positions, said lever is formed with a spring-pressed detent 33 arranged to frictionally engage with correspending sockets 34 formed in the adjacent hub 35 of the radial lever I2.

With the described vehicle signal device, "right-turn, left-turn, or stop signals can be quickly and effectively given by the drive of the vehicle from within the operators compartment, and by the simple manipulation of the levers I3 and I4 in the manner described. One great advantage of the device is that the signal can be given without the necessity of opening of any windows of the automobile, and further the signal is disposed in a position where it can be readily seen by the drivers of following approaching vehicles.

From the foregoing description it `will be readily seen that there has been produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specication sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

l. A mechanical signal device for vehicles cornprising a supporting tubular body adapted to be mounted on a vehicle horizontally and lengthwise thereof with the rear end of said body in ther drivers compartment, a supporting arm projecting laterally from the forward end of the tubularV body, the arm being hollow, means mounting the ar-m on the body and in communication therewith, a pair of sleeves telescoped together and extending through the tubular body in rotatable relation to each other and said body, radial, axially, spaced levers on the inner ends of the sleeves withinrthe drivers compartment, a vertical spindle rotatably journaled on the arm at its outer end and projecting thereinto, said spindle being hollow and communicating with the interior of the arm, a signal arrow pivoted on the spindle for vertical swinging motion, actuating connections in the arm between the forward end of one sleeve and the spindle arranged to rotate the spindle upon rotation of said one sleeve, and other actuating connections, in part in the :arm :and in part extending through the hollow spindle, connected between the forward end of the other sleeve and the signal arrow arranged to swing said signal arrow upon rotation of said other sleeve.

2. A mechanical signal device for vehicles comprising la supporting tubular body adapted to be mounted on a vehicle horizontally and length- Y wise thereof with the rear end of said body in the drivers compartment, a supporting arm projecting laterally from the forward end of`the tubular body, the arm being hollow, means mounting the arm on the body and in communication therewith, a pair of sleeves telescoped together and extending through the tubular body in rotatable relation to each other and said body, radial, axially, spaced levers on the inner ends of the sleeves within the drivers compartment, a vertical spindle rotatably'journaled on the arm at its outer end and projectingthereinto, said spindle being hollow and communicating with the interior of the arm, a signal arrow pivoted on the spindle for vertical swinging motion, actuating connections in the arm between the forward end of one sleeve and the spindle arranged to rotate the spindle upon rotation of said one message sleeve, and other actuating connections, in part in the arm and in part extending through the hollow spindle, connected between the forward end of the other sleeve and the signal arrow arranged to swing said signal arrow upon rotation of said other sleeve; said rst named actuating connections comprising pulleys on said one sleeve and spindle in the arm, and an endless cord working between said pulleys.

3. A mechanical signal device for vehicles comprising .a supporting tubular body adapted to be mounted on a vehicle horizontally and lengthwise thereof with the rear end of said body in the drivers compartment, a supporting arm `projecting laterally from the forward end of the tubular body, the arm being hollow, means mounting the arm on the body and in communication therewith, a pair of sleeves telescoped together and extending through the tubular body in rotatable relation to each other and said body, radial, axially, spaced levers on the inner ends of the sleeves within the drivers compartment, a vertical spindle rotatably journaled on the arm at its outer end and projecting thereinto, said` the other sleeve and the signal arrow arranged to swing said signal arrow upon rotation of said other sleeve; said other` actuating connections comprising a radial lever on the forward end of said other sleeve, a direction-changing pulley in the arm adjacent the inner end of the hollow spindle, a pull cord connected to the radial arm and extending to and about the directionchanging pulley and thence through the hollow spindle to the signa1 arrow.

4. A mechanical signal device for vehicles, as in claim 3, wherein the spindle includes a fork, the signal arrow being pivoted in the fork, and a. spring and stop unit arranged to urge the signal arrow to, and tomaintain it in, a normal horizontal position; the pull cord being connected to said signal arrow in a manner to swing it to a downwardly pointing outwardly inclined position.

HYRUM STEPHENSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name .Date

1,285,549 Anthony Nov. 19, 1918 1,292,855 Newman Jan. 28, 1919 1,406,290 Schierding Feb. 14, 1922 1,674,494 Allard June 19, 1928 1,682,643 Varoutsos Aug. 28, 1928 `1,687,419 Ainsa Oct. 9, 1928 

